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Show 10 Thursday, March 7, 1996 twitch "FUNNY GIRL" OKAY, BUT REALLY LACKS KNOCKOUT PUNCH Brandon Becker by lili By Brandon Becker & THE LINK INBETWEEN upon a time mere was a celebration called UKUtah FestivaL It was the first time such had been produced and everyone wanted to get into the spirit of things. Some people were confused as to why such a festival was taking place in but they were soon enlightened, Utah of all places after hearing that over 40 percent of Utah's population Once lyric!)' jit mw; JuteStyne ' Merrill directed by Marina Tichotsky can trace their ancestry to the UK. As publicist Shannon Michael said The festival aims to make people more aware of the long standing ties between the United Kingdom and Utah, and to strengthen these ties in the many different areas in which they exist" itii' fit Til t r if: Indeed, through out the month of March there were over sixty events associated with the festival. Many performing arts organizations performed British material..; ! ' Conferences on American-Britis- h technology and busi- ness relations were held. Educational speakers from Britain gave inspirational talks. British food and flowers were featured everywhere, and people could even help the economy by buying British consumer goods at ZCMI. It was a grand time. People spoke in fake English accents. Lady Margaret Thatcher arrived and sent the entire Salt Lake valley into hysterics. Kilts came into style and elementary school children finally learned that l - BritidriwasspeUeda-i-- h , DiwwKmscr JamcDte Iare4 Wright Bmtaker musical is like jumping in quicksand attached to a rope. strong rope to pull you out, otherwise you might as well tit Of all musicals, Fumy Girl is the one mat producers keep away from the most often. , ; But among these fantastical offerings, there was a play called Vinegar Tom. Written by British playwright Carolyn Churchill,; the play was part of die UKUTAH Festival and dealt' with the witch hunts that were prevalent in England during the seventeenth century. With songs and dances interspersed among its more traditional scenes1' Vinegar Tom was a powerful production that made people ' evaluate what Kristie Bartley of the Utah Women's'" Resource Center refers to a$. "the socially sanctioned, institutionalized devaluing of women and the phenomena of victim blaming in our society today." Many of those who had seen the original production when it was produced in the fall of 95' had liked the show and felt it was a fascinating cross between The Crucible and Cabaret. By doing the show again, not only were more people able to see it - but the cast was able to raise money to go to the 11th Annual Festival of Drama in English in Gdansk, Poland. The director of Vinegar Tom, Dr. Richard Scharine said "Doing the show again provides us with economic support for the trip over there...which is expensive." Some people didn't understand why an English festival v, would take place in Poland but they were soon , enlightened after hearing that one in 10 Poles can trace their ancestry to the UK. V'1 '' ; oing a star vehicle pv I 1 You have a gotta nbti-a-- h. r Why Two words: Barbara Streisand. The material, songs, and character are, so closer associated with her that anyone else in the role seems like heresy; Besides, singing Tm Greatest Star" unless it's you don't want to have someone ' true. l' v.,. 2, SLCC's Grand Girl has Theatre of a . Fortunately, production Fumy pretty good on-sta- ge - -- woman to base itself on. In the role of Fanny Brice? Diane Rosser does an admirable job. She looks right, she sounds right, and she has a strongvoice? But her energy rollercoasters during the production, and some of the songs tend to stretch her vocal range. Of course1, singing over, eleven numbers could tire anyone out but Rosser needs to find how to pace herself. It's no secret that the entire show rests on Rosser's shoulders; remember, it's a star vehicle. But without strong direction Funny Girl becomes even more of a burden, both on Rosser and on us. That's where SLCC's production runs into trouble. True, Funny Girl contains Jule Styne's second best score (Cosy's the first) and Bob Merrill's lyrics are to the music and plot But the book is sparse, flimsy and parts of it are -- . There have been ties between the UK and the Baltic states for centuries." said Scharine. The festival, originated in 1986, was a place where professional and amateur theatre groups gathered to share productions and workshops with students from around the European continent It was also a place where " ' ' " ; people could brush up on their English. There has been a tremendous emphasis on English ever since the fall of communism, and they have discovered that one of the best ways to learn English is through theatre," said Scharine. By going to Poland, the cast of Vinegar Tom was able to represent the US at the Festival. It was die fourth time that theater from Utah was represented and people at the Ui festival were glad to see them back again. And so, we come to the end of this tale of two festivals. Two festivals, on opposite sides of the world, who unbeknownst to them shared a common bond they were both sponsored by the British consulate and they both hosted a play called Vinegar Tom, (which didn't end very happily ever after). The End. . VINEGAR TOM vriil be performed at Realms of Inquiry Private School, March 7 at 7:30p.m. Call for 14-1- $81-$6- 03 mat information.' The UKAJTAH Festival continues 364-745- 2 for more all during March. Call information. well-match- V downright disposable. Director Marina Tichotsky doesn't present any clear concept for Funny Girl, resulting in a choppy mish mash of song, scene, song, scene etc. It doesn't appear as if Tichotsky has worked to go beyond the script and many of the actors' emotional climaxes seem, unmotivated or forced. She isn't helped by Wes Wright's scenic desiga Though several backgrounds are marble-staircas- e (which is breathtaking in the stunning, the seemingly first Follies number) becomes distracting and annoying. Some settings are marvelous; others look like high school constructions. Same thing for Aneladee Milne's costumes: some are gorgeous; some are just puzzling. The chorus, the one element of musical theater that SLCC has continued to have trouble with, is again numerous but awkward. Choreographer Georgia Marshall's vaudeville numbers are fine, but for die most part the girls in the Follies " ' numbers need more grace arid finesse. ' " : characters are relatively strong. As Nick, Fanny's husLuckily the supporting band, James A. Dale is a cross between John Laroquette and Jonathan Frakes. His performance is appropriately charming and masculine, but that darn walking stick has got to go. Jared Brubaker does a nice job as Eddie, and Paula Demanett is ant as Mrs. Brice. But the standout of the evening is J. Scott Henrie , who makes the most out of his role as the stage manager, John. Mention should also go to music director Jay Gundersen, who conducts his orchestra with assurance and competency. Perhaps the greatest challenge with Funny Gui is that it needs tremendously lavish production numbers and knockout performances for it to totally succeed. It has ,'. to bowl you over. SLCC's production just doesn't do that There are some great moments, and most people will probably have a good time. But it's time for SLCC to raise its expectations. No one said musicals were easy to pull off, but when ; ; v." l they're xlone right, what a thrilling experience it is! FUNNY GIRL doses this Saturday at the Grand Theatre on the SLCC campus. ever-prese- for mm information. nt f I V. I r iirxYB it-- I I i I w f V i w it- .: i A o 1 ometimes it's really fun to take great literature and turn it on its head. In the case of Shakespeare, plays like Hamlet have been satirized to death. But this weekend, the U.'s theater department will present GOODNIGHT DESDE-MON- A (GOOD MORNING JULIET), Canadian playwright Ann-Mar- ie Macdonald's witty and wild feminist comedy. . Centered around Constance Ledbelly.a lecturer in Renaissance drama at Queens University,- - Goodnight deals with, Constance's attempts to decipher a coded manuscript containing (she believes), the original source versions of Othello and Romeb and Juliet; While doing so, Constance falls into the worlds of these two plays making astonishing discoveries and changing the plays from tragedies to comedies Directed y new faculty member Dawn MacCaugherty, this Salt Lake premiere will "take place in the Lab Theatre, located on the second floor of PAB. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7;30 pm,, Sunday at 7p,m. and Friday at 4:30 p,ni. 1 Tickets are only $3 for students. Call for more information. ; 581-696- Also this weekend is the WiriteConcett by the UNIVERSITY Of UTAH WOMEN'S CHOIR. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. on March 8 in David Gardner Hall, the concert will include works by Brahms, Britten, and Cowell. Choral music can be a breathtaking experience so go support the University's newest choral ensemble. Tickets are bhh S3 for students. JP . |